A 14 year old youth, while alleging he was abused by another teenager, told a judge yesterday that he was reluctant to give full details of what had happened because he felt he was disgraced.
An 18 year old has pleaded not guilty to 10 charges of sexual assault and attempted buggery against four boys who were aged between to and 14 years at the time of the alleged crimes in 1993 and 1994. His trial opened yesterday before Judge A.G. Murphy and a jury of eight women and four men in Cork Circuit Court.
The evidence of the alleged victims of the abuse was taken yesterday and defending counsel, Mr Tom Creed, reserved his right to cross examine the boys until today.
The first victim to give evidence said he was abused by the defendant but did not want to go into detail because he was disgraced. When the trial resumed after lunch, he told of several occasions when the accused allegedly assaulted him.
A 16 year old schoolboy said he was locked into a house by the accused and another man and was told he would not be allowed out unless he took off his clothes and had sex with the accused.
A 14 year old boy said he had a knife put to his throat by the accused after he went to the toilet. The accused told him to take down his pants and when he refused he pulled out the knife and held it close to his throat. The accused then sexually assaulted him.
A boy who was aged 10 in 1993, when he was allegedly assaulted said the defendant brought him to waste ground where he built a fire and they smoked cigarettes. The assault occurred there.
The trial continues today.